This patent pertains to the field of cargo loading machinery, especially to apparatus for more efficiently loading loose items into a container or truck, where manual placement of the cargo by cargo handlers is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,651,963 to McWilliams discloses a conveyor for loading mail bags from a loading dock into a trailer. This conveyor system has two fixed power driven conveyors, each individually, manually controlled for on/off. The conveyors are interconnected about a hinging point so that the conveyor system (front and rear conveyors) may be moved in and out of the truck. The end conveyor is supported at a mid point by a hoisting mechanism and pivots around its rearward point so that its discharge end may be raised or lowered in the vehicle. Lateral positioning with the vehicle requires moving the entire conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,249,239 to Suffolk discloses a conveyor, for use in a coal mine for transporting bulk coal. This conveyor discloses a mechanism which shows a typical construction for a telescoping, gravity fed conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,627,960 to Eberle discloses a telescoping conveyor of the gravity fed roller type. This is described as being a truck bed loading conveyor. This patent also discloses a mechanism for temporary holding of delivered articles; operator intervention is required to deflect overflow bundles to a holding table (78). The claims of this patent are generally drawn to an extensible telescoping conveyor, with means at a work delivery end for raising and lowering the work delivery end.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,880,849 to Craggs, et el discloses a telescoping powered conveyor with means for raising and lowering the end. The claims are directed to a system of suspending the intermediate support rollers for the conveyor belt from a cable or strands, claimed to provide a self-aligning capability for centering the conveyor belt under varying loads.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,687,276 to Pelletier discloses in combination a concrete conveyor containing a multiplicity of angled or telescoping powered conveyor belts.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,480 to Loosli discloses a conveyor. The claim is drawn to a combination of a chain drive conveyor which can easily be driven in a small and a belt conveyor for protecting delicate produce from the chain. The patent discloses a mobile, two section conveyor having a fixed, powered section and a second, tilting powered section for delivery of produce to varying heights.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,089 to Jerome discloses another form of variable inclined conveyor having a single conveyor section in which there is both an upper and lower belt so as to restrain the transported object between the two belts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,555 to Rydell. The structure of this conveyor includes a feed conveyor (22), an angularly variable elevator conveyor (24) and a final horizontal feed conveyor (26). It is a part of the invention that the horizontal feed conveyor 26 is maintained level even though the elevator 24 may be raised or lowered.